Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Cabbit]

would any of you give up a college job to work in a hagwon??

[Skippy]

Depends. Some people whould quit for money. Others to go to a better place ie Chonan to Seoul.

Some people might choose the hagwon becuase theu want an easier time. Inn College it is more serious as you do have to prepare and teach english to students. Some hagwons some teachs can take it easier. In Hagwons you walk in flip open the book and start. College you have to make a plan submit the plan, etc.

Skippy the Evil Twin

[rasta man]

Ummmmm lets see, 18 hour/4 day weeks at my uni vs 30-35 hour/5-6 day weeks at a hogwon. My uni wins that one

4 1/2 months paid vacation with the ability to earn extra money during those breaks vs maybe 2 weeks of vacation? Uni is 2-0

single housing (or 2 adjoining 1 bedroom apts or a 2 bedroom for Mrs Rasta and me) with free cable, LAN connection, central heat and air con vs shared housing, pay for cable and net access. My uni is 3-0

Unmotivated students who don't care and who whine about getting and F vs motivated students. Well a hogwon wins that one as long as you don't have to teach kids then uni wins easily so call that one even because there are so many more kiddie hogwons

getting paid on time every time vs insecure finances. Again Uni wins

think i'll keep my uni position thank you thats why I went to grad school

[kimcheeking]

RastaMan...

A little sarcastic but so true.... Though I've said it before, I dont' want university housing. I prefer to not be indentured.

University vs Hogwan. Hands down no contest.

[weatherman]

Rasta man is right! The inherent problems that come with working for hogwans will keep me away for good. Universities give you a bit more control over what you are doing, and how you are doing it. If you have the qualification go for a Uni position. It would be very, very, very rare to find a hogwan offering better. Also look at your personal circumstances, and what are they telling you? Where you do you want to fit in? Who do you want to teach? Where do you want to live? What do you need outside of work? You know what I am getting at.

[Canadian Teacher]

Working in a Korean university is the easiest job that I have ever had in my life. The money is OK, they hours short, the vacation long and the apartment nice.

Go back to hagwans? If that though crosses your mind, get your head looked at.

Canadian Teacher

[katydid]

Does it look horrible to take a step back? I'm in no mood to move far away somewhere to get a "posh" job anyways. I am dead sick of moving. Almost tired of the lifeless students, but that could be my fault as well.
So I am going to fight tooth and nail to stay here.
If I continue teaching in the long term, would someone look at this as a horrible move on my part, even if I explain to them what the director said to me for my reason of dismissal, the proverbial "Lack of experience"? I feel that it's kind of damned if I do damned if I don't....fired because of lack of experience, but then unis will see me and say "Wow, no experience," and no matter what, I'd be at a hagwan teaching anyways. Might as well be in Gwangju doing it.

[kimcheeking]

If you go to a kids hogwan, you could spin it so that it was your decision to try teaching kdis for a change.

[katydid]

You know, KK, I might be able to sincerely say that, and not have to spin anything. I really did like working with the kids. I wish we had better vacation time when I worked there, but I can't be too much of a snob, turning my nose up at 30 hours a week when back home I'd be working AT LEAST 40.
And I felt more hands-on there, seeing the kids everyday, if only in my classroom two or three times a week, and watching them learn and pick up on things. And it was nice to interact with kids who were cheerful, or a bit crazy...but they had a lot of personality undoubtedly. Even here, I did enjoy working with the kids more.
Part of me originally took this job as a litmus test to see who I liked to teach: the kids or the adults (including the freshmen). I think maybe, if anything else, I might just find my answer as a result of this.

[Mr. Pink]

I think only people who end up screwing their uni students and getting fired would be crazy enough to head back to a hawgwon situation.

Normal people would never do it.

I dont do uni or hawgwon...and I like being where I am. As uni hiring season approaches, I have seen some pretty tempting offers out there, but it would mean moving, adjusting and having to learn a new ciriculam.

[shawner88]

There are pretty easy hagwon jobs just as there are crappy uni ones. I'm assuming that even though you only teach 12-16 hours a week, that you have to be at the school much longer. You also have to wear a tie, I assume, although I'm guessing not really. Anyway, what I like about my hagwon is I'm only there from 3 - 8pm and I don't have to prepare anything and I'm making 2.1. The downside really is not having vacation time...that I'll concede.

[the_beaver]

[katydid]

[shawner88]

[the_beaver]